


Five Times Athos Startles Someone and the One Time when the Shock Is Mutual

by prompt_fills



Category: Les Trois Mousquetaires | The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas, The Musketeers (2014), d'Artagnan Romances (Three Musketeers Series) - All Media Types
Genre: 5 Times, Adventure, Drabble, Drabble Sequence, Friendship, Gen, Shippy Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5306588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prompt_fills/pseuds/prompt_fills
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>10×100 words drabble fill written for <a href="http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/"><b>BBC Musketeers Kink</b></a>, Round 2, <a href="http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/1213.html?thread=2318781#cmt2318781"><i>for this prompt</i>.</a><br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Athos Startles Someone and the One Time when the Shock Is Mutual

 

**I.**

Athos is motioned to proceed by a surly-looking officer. Taking off his hat and opening the door, Athos finds the cardinal standing over the square table, his piercing gaze set upon the plans of the city.

Noting the tense line of the man’s shoulders, Athos only dares to tread two steps into the chamber, not wanting to disturb. There he pauses, waiting for the cardinal to acknowledge his presence.

His expression schooled into a mask of well-practised blankness, Athos stands tall, unwavering. Aramis may think different but the cardinal is not omnipotent and nothing could have divulged their latest escapades.

*****

For long minutes Athos’ patience is being severely tested.

The cardinal remains bent over his maps, paying Athos no mind, too preoccupied with his scheming to notice the stoic musketeer.

At last, Athos clears his throat. “Your Eminence requested my presence?”

The cardinal flinches as if struck and turns to the voice, his thin face momentarily betraying a look of horror before his eyes widen in recognition.

Cheeks burning with the shame of having been caught unaware and eyes blazing with wrath, the cardinal lifts a shaking finger at Athos.

Athos sighs. They might not have been in trouble _before_.

 

**II.**

Athos is sitting at the table in his rented room, contemplating the merits of acquiring a bottle of wine. He does not have enough pistoles to allow such splendour. He rests his head upon his hands, pitiable.

Very loudly, through the door enters Porthos, two drinks at one hand, a giggling young girl at the other. “Oh, Athos,” he exclaims, “I thought you weren’t home.”

“Why, this is where I live.”

“I didn’t see you lurking there.”

Thus, Athos involuntarily learns more about the art of stealth and in turn teaches the others to be more aware of their surroundings.

 

**III.**

The eastern wall surrounding the abandoned Huguenot’s chapel provides Athos with a great view of the scene bellow him.

Around a fire, four figures are standing, talking in hushed voices. Athos can hear them clearly, yet he remains hidden under the merciful cover of impenetrable darkness.

Past midnight, one lone shadow joins the group.

“Watchword,” a voice calls out harshly into the night.

The figure does not waver. “By the head–!”

“Report!”

“We shan’t worry about Cornett no more.”

A satisfied murmur erupts from the group of schemers.

“Excellent! And the status?”

“No one is standing guard to the Queen.”

*****

The fifth figure steps near the ring of fire and Athos frowns deeply, recognizing the face or their betrayer.

“To the victory! Our path is clear,” one of the mercenaries exclaims.

“I wouldn’t rely on that,” Athos calls in his hollow voice, leaping down vengefully from his perch, drawing his sword. The oddities are against him. The leader of the group is armed, the traitorous newcomer is armed, but the other two are clergymen.

Then the leader beholds Athos and faints.

After that, it is a fair, albeit very short fight.

By the morning, the cardinal has the insurgents imprisoned.

 

**IV.**

Having finished the required report to His Eminence, Athos hastily takes his leave. By a stroke of luck, he happens to overhear the usher talking about a young maiden selling suspiciously fine bottles of wine in the marketplace. The price would be outrageous but the wine is indeed of an excellent quality.

Athos heads straight to the marketplace.

“May I be permitted to take a look?” he asks, gesturing to one of the bottles. He intends to smile at the maiden but his grimace is ghastly.

The poor girl takes a step back from him, shaking her head. Athos leaves.

*****

Comes the night, Athos follows the maiden as she closes her business and walks around the town. The maiden does not notice him. Soon enough, she breaks into the chancellor’s wine cellar.

On her way out, she finally spots Athos. She shrieks in terror, the precious bottle slipping from her fingers.

Athos swiftly snatches it from the air before it can shatter on the ground. He studies the bottle, then nods his head, satisfied. Seguier has excellent tastes.

“Thank you for this generous gift,” he says, hiding the bottle within his robes and leading the girl to the night guards.

 

**V.**

Their mission has been carried out successfully. “I propose a toast,” Aramis tells Porthos and d’Artagnan across the table.

His two companions mutter their agreements, then bewilderedly watch Aramis pour the flagon into four glasses. Two he slides across the table, the other two he holds up, angled towards a near darkened corner.

D’Artagnan emits a very embarrassing, high pitched screech as Athos’s figure separates from the shadows and takes one of the two glasses Aramis is offering to him.

“Thank you,” Athos says, masking his smile by taking a sip.

“To friendship!” Porthos bellows, kindly ignoring the distressed Gascon.

 

**VI.**

With a dry amusement, Athos watches aggravated Tréville wielding his sword. The captain of the king’s Musketeers practices with a blind fury, lunging at imaginary enemies, twisting and turning around, relentless.

Athos concludes his captain could benefit from having a sparring partner, someone at whom to target his rage. Athos is not intimidated in the slightest by the raw power the man is displaying. He has seen it before and often admired this quality in their leader. He can relate to the helpless resentment that grips Monsieur de Tréville after being summoned to answer for his garrison to His Eminence.

*****

Athos rises from the staircase leading to the Musketeer’s barracks and crosses the courtyard towards his captain, steps light.

He comes directly into the captain’s line of sight. “Sir, say I–”

Athos is cut off mid sentence by a loud roar. He startles in response, sword immediately in hand. He quickly assesses the situation, then slides the sword back into the scabbard, embarrassed.

Tréville has meanwhile gotten over his initial shock and is now leaning against one of the stable beams, his shoulders shaking with laughter, his sword no longer in his hand.

“You alarmed me, sir,” Athos admits reluctantly.


End file.
